Secure your kite!!

Windian · Since 28 Apr 2008 902 Posts Newport, OR NEWPORT OG

It is every kiters responsibility to secure his/her kite when it is not in use on the beach. It happens all the time, yesterday actually, that another kiter left his kite directly upwind on my equipment and a group of tourists. There was no sand piled on the kite and plenty of wind to blow the whole mess into a bunch of unsuspecting people, kids, dogs, other kiter's gear. All it takes is one good gust and it could be total mayhem downwind with a beach closure soon to follow. I went over and piled sand on his kite to avoid the worst case scenario, but it should be the "kiters responsibility" to do this simple safety step.

Last year some knucklehead at South Beach didn't secure his kite on a very windy day and the kite, bar and lines took off downwind and then grabbed 2 other kites, bars and lines. Myself and several other kiters are downwind as we all look upwind at the knucklehead's kite viciously kitelooping and dragging the other equipment downwind at 20 mph towards us. This whole mess looked slightly less intimidating than a group of charging rhinos. And downwind of us was groups of unsuspecting tourists. I moved to one side quickly and then tried to time catching the leading edge of the looping kite, but it was spiralling to fast. My last chance to catch the mess was to try to catch the trailing 2 kites which I did, but the looping kite busted loose of the stuff that I was able to anchor and continued heading downwind, but not looping anymore. It eventually stuck downwind after several hundred yards and didn't take out anymore victims.

So everyone please anchor your kites with several large handfuls of sand on both sides of the center strut. If you don't, I will when I pass by an unsecured kite. We don't need beach closures because of stupidity, laziness, or neglegence. Evil or Very Mad

bajakiter · Since 16 May 2007 58 Posts

I wholeheartedly agree! You forgot to mention the nice blown out canopy of the trailing two kites from the lines......that was a bad way to end the stoke of a good day!

bulae99 · Since 12 Jul 2006 1692 Posts XTreme Poster

You from doing the dumb ass sprint down the beach! I saw at least 3 100 meter dash Olympic Kite Sprints from the Spit yesterday, Sunday. It is just not a good idea to leave your kite, flat or not, on the sand in direct wind and think that it won't get lifted and take off.

If you don't want to get your kite dirty take your bag and fill it with sand and then put it on your kite. ON gusty days kites get picked up by big gusts. Boards fall off of kites, but sand doesn't.

Even if the sand is wet put it on you kite!!!

~It's cheaper too!

and it's safe.

Very Happy

pdxmonkeyboy · Mon Jun 16, 08 8:27 am

While your putting sand on your kite you might as well ROLL UP YOUR LINES!!!

I love it when there are lots of people on the beach and people just leave their lines all willy nilly everywhere. It takes 2 minutes folks

tstansbury · Since 06 Jun 2006 649 Posts Rowena and P.C Addicted

I noticed on my T3 It does not sit on the beach well because of the leading edge shape.

blowhard · Since 26 Dec 2005 2027 Posts Windward

leaving your kite out
ruins them
why do it at all?

jcohenx · Since 28 Aug 2007 250 Posts Portland Obsessed

Two Sunday's ago, I was on the spit and helped a guy land his kite. I piled sand on the kite as he helped his buddy/son land his kite. I was just walking up the spit to help my buddy land his kite a few minutes later at the very moment a big gust grabbed his kite right off the beach. I was at the right place at the right time to grab it just before it headed downwind to the bridge.

Guess there just wasn't enough sand on the kite at the time. Lucky I was there to grab it.

Spike · Since 13 May 2007 1414 Posts Alameda Spelling Expert

put rocks on it

hamlindp · Wed Jun 18, 08 12:53 pm

Rock on!